The Girl and the Grove

By Eric Smith

Teenager Leila’s life is full of challenges. From bouncing around the foster care system to living with seasonal affective disorder, she’s never had an easy road. Leila keeps herself busy with her passion for environmental advocacy, monitoring the Urban Ecovists message board and joining a local environmental club with her best friend, Sarika. And now that Leila has finally been adopted, she dares to hope her life will improve.

But the voices in Leila’s head are growing louder by the day. Ignoring them isn’t working anymore. Something calls out to her from the grove at Fairmount Park. Is she ready to answer?

About the Author

Eric Smith is a young adult author and literary agent who grew up in the wilds of New Jersey. When he isn't working on books (his and other peoples), he can be found writing about books for places like Book Riot and Paste Magazine. He lives with his wife, Nena, and their legion of small furry animals in Michigan. Find him online at www.ericsmithrocks.com or on Twitter at @ericsmithrocks.

Reviews of The Girl and the Grove:

“Smith’s novel covers the important topics of adoption, identity, and environmental awareness, while also touching on teenage relationships and inserting beautiful images of nature into the text.”—School Library Journal

"Readers will feel for Leila; her emotions around her family history are raw and real. " —Kirkus Reviews

"Smith’s empathetic portrayal of an outside-the-box teen’s search for her real identity will hold readers." —Booklist